Weed and insect pest management in organic flue‐cured tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) is challenging due to lack of effective and affordable approved control options. Polyethylene plastic mulches are used in vegetable and berry production to manage in‐row weed populations, buffer soil temperatures, limit rain‐induced soil loss, and maintain soil moisture. Mulch color can affect plant growth, soil temperature, and insect pest populations in vegetable crops. Field trials were conducted in Kinston, NC, in 2019 and 2020 and Whiteville, NC, in 2020. Red, white, black, and silver polyethylene mulch (with drip irrigation) and bare ground with and without drip irrigation were compared to evaluate effects on tobacco yield, quality, and pests. Tobacco yields were elevated by at least 290% in mulch treatments compared with bare ground with irrigation in 2020 (p < .05), but did not differ in 2019 due to precipitation and temperature differences that conveyed an increased benefit in 2020. Opaque mulches successfully suppressed weed emergence. Fewer aphids were present in highly reflective silver mulch than all other treatments with irrigation in both years. Black and red mulch warmed soils while silver cooled them, affecting nitrogen mineralization rates. Higher levels of plant available nitrogen were maintained in mulch treatments, but tobacco nitrate levels and overall quality were not affected. These results are consistent with plasticulture research in other crops. The factors that make plasticulture well suited to intensively managed, high value crop production may benefit organic flue‐cured tobacco production especially when grown in rotation with other intensively managed crops.
Grafted and ungrafted ‘Primo Red’ tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) transplants were planted at 16-, 20-, and 24-inch spacing in a commercial high tunnel in central New York, USA, to compare yields. ‘Primo Red’ scions were grafted onto ‘Maxifort’ rootstocks and left to heal in a commercial greenhouse facility. Tomatoes were harvested as they ripened, and the weight and number of fruit per plot was recorded and then calculated out to a per-plant basis. Wider plant spacings resulted in higher yields for both grafted and ungrafted plants. However, economic returns remained highest in the highest density (16 inches in-row) spacing with grafted plants. This indicates that growers may not need to adjust density despite additional foliage from grafted plants. Foliar incidence of Botrytis gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) was not significantly different under spacing or grafting treatments. Grafting resulted in higher yields across all plant spacings compared with ungrafted plants. Commercial growers can use this information to make choices on grafting and spacing in high tunnel tomato.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.